plan a modern wedding in the middle of the country

It’s not secret I’m a sucker for a good wedding video. So, when Aaron and Heather shared this stop motion video from Kim and Tyler’s wedding day, I was over the moon. I obviously had to share with you all.

This wedding is a wonderful mixture between great details, retro appeal and personality. And, happens to take place on New Year’s Eve in Jefferson City, Missouri. The capital city of Missouri made for a beautiful backdrop to the couples’ overall vision.

From the bride:The whole “assorted retro” theme began with my “At Tiffany’s” Hey Lady shoes which emulate the infamous greenish-blue color of 1950s cars and household appliances. I love, appreciate, and respect old things of any kind, and I hate anything too matchy-matchy, so I decided to go with that.

After the shoes, I fell in love with a Maggie Sottero dress with old Hollywood class. I made a birdcage veil to complement it–gray netting seemed fun and having the chance to make a fascinator with a brooch from my husband’s recently passed grandma was a privilege. Retro hair, big pearl earrings, and a bracelet circa the ’50s pulled my ensemble together. Mismatched vintage-inspired cocktail dresses for the bridesmaids and skinny ties for the men topped it off.

Then there were the buttons. Inspired by some button bouquets I saw online, I started a hunt for vintage buttons–glass, plastic, wood, leather, whatever. Over a year and a half, I made my bouquet, 7 bridesmaid bouquets, 15+ boutonnieres, and 4 corsages with hundreds of buttons, wire, vintage ribbon and lace bibs (all for less than $300).

I was proud not to have a cookie-cutter wedding but it made me anxious until I saw everything come together on that beautiful Friday. Even my husband, who at times was skeptical of my slightly off-beat wishes such as walking down the aisle to “O Holy Night” and blue shoes, loved it in the end. One day, I think he’ll forgive me for the blisters he nursed after cutting 200+ corks into place card holders.

While I’m off getting my learn on at Eventology, I encourage you to stop by the blogs of some of my faves for Tuesday Shoesday. LLB will be back Thursday with regular content and definitely back next Tuesday for Tuesday Shoesday!

Ecclectic and colorful weddings speak to my heart. They really do. The boldness of a couple to just really do what they want is so empowering. Crystal and Chris chose a fun color palette and the backdrop of a family friend’s residence to tie the knot. And, even better, because the both of them are pastors, they wrote their entire ceremony. Personalization is key here – make your wedding (and marriage) a true reflection of you both as a couple. It goes a long way. And, your guests remember it.

The Solar Photographers out of Kansas City did an awesome job of capturing the heart of this wedding, and the details.

They say March is supposed to come in like a lion and out like a lamb, but I think Mother Nature missed the point this year. Instead, March was welcomed with gorgeous weather and wonderful temperatures. The end of March? Not so much. St. Louis welcomed 4 inches of snow (thundersnow, nonetheless) the last Saturday in March. Which brings me to the story of Kurt and Christina. Their videographer shared with me their wonderful Same Day Edit.

From Jimmy at Captured in Frames:We wake up Saturday morning and head to the salon in Highland, IL. So far no rain. No snow. At noon we head to Busch [Stadium] and just as we’re driving past Collinsville the flakes begin to fall ever so softly. Then at 1:45, minutes before the ceremony starts, the coordinator at Busch, Kristen, walks into the dressing room as Christina is slipping into her dress. She says something along the lines of “This is your last chance to move the ceremony inside. The snow is coming down really hard out there, it’s insane.” Christina didn’t give it a second thought. “I’m getting married at home plate” she says. The rest is history.

It was really just an amazing experience for all of us: Kurt and Christina, the family and friends, and even us videographers! That’s something we’re never going to experience again, ever. It is truly one of those weddings that we are going to talk about for the rest of our lives. How many people can actually say they got married at home plate Busch Stadium during a blizzard.

And, now, for that video. Glimpses of this video and wedding were all over the news last week, and even made appearances on The Weather Channel. I have never seen a wedding ceremony quite like this. It’s beautiful and romantic all wrapped in one.

I can’t wait for the “real” Spring to arrive. In nearly two weeks since the first day of Spring, we’ve been hit with two (count that, two) snow storms. As in at least 3 inches of snow. BUT, we’ve also had 70 degree weather. Explain that one!

At any rate, with the last bit of winter nipping us in the but, I couldn’t help but feature this adorable and snowy engagement session from Kate Botwinski. It features several of the things I love about winter (other than the snow), including oversized mugs of hot cocoa and sledding.

Plus, in preparation for their photoshoot, Katie, the bride, found a cute beanie on etsy.com and knitted herself a scarf to match. She also sported an adorable minty green sweater which Andrew, her husband-to-be, surprised her with as a gift.